


this is not the end

by bipetermj (divineauthor)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Family Reunions, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Reunions, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 23:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20125357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divineauthor/pseuds/bipetermj
Summary: It took them four years to undo every mistake Thanos had caused—well not every mistake. Sometimes, the burden of those who died fell on the ones who lived; they mourned, they wept, they suffered for the people who simply vanished, the only remnants of their existence being the ash that mixed in with the air for days, heavy on their chests like the grief they carried on their backs. Tony could still feel Peter’s ashes on his hands and in his lungs. It had felt like every breath was a reminder that he had failed, that there was something he missed. Somehow it hurt worse than any physical wound Thanos inflicted on him.—•—Tony has been waiting four years to see Peter again. A couple more days can’t kill him.





	this is not the end

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reem/gifts).

> happy (belated—JUST A DAY) birthday reem !!! you deserve some happy marvel fic so here’s a short reunion scene :D 
> 
> title from: one direction’s “history”

It took them four years to undo every mistake Thanos had caused—well not every mistake. Sometimes, the burden of those who died fell on the ones who lived; they mourned, they wept, they suffered for the people who simply vanished, the only remnants of their existence being the ash that mixed in with the air for days, heavy on their chests like the grief they carried on their backs. Tony could still feel Peter’s ashes on his hands and in his lungs. It had felt like every breath was a reminder that he had failed, that there was something he missed. Somehow it hurt worse than any physical wound Thanos inflicted on him.

Those four fucking years dragged on and Tony wasn’t getting any younger, time stone be damned. He wasn’t touching those things with a ten foot pole— hell, he wasn’t touching those things again until his next lifetime. The infinity stones were on their way to being completely destroyed thanks to Carol. Tony has had enough of space alien crap for twelve lifetimes, no offense to Point Break. Thor, his entire planet of Asgardians (which could now fit in the tiny country of Norway, sadly enough), Rocket and his crew are all the aliens he can handle at this point. 

You’d think Tony could wait a few days before Peter came back with the rest of the Guardians, but four years taught him nothing. His impatience burned in his chest and even the others could tell he was getting antsy (Tony woefully tried to avoid Pepper’s gaze, even Rhodey who recently came back alert and looking younger than ever, could see his anxieties). 

“Hey, man,” Rhodey said, clapping a hand on his shoulder as Tony slumped over another piece of machinery, hands unconsciously flying over the metal as his mind whirred over Peter and his whereabouts. “Have you been getting sleep?”

Tony snorted. “Sleep? You do know who I am, right? I don’t think I’ve gotten a decent night’s rest since 2008 and even then you know how I was. And now with Purple Thumb dead and waiting for everyone to come back to the land of the living, sleep is the last thing on my mind. Not to mention, Morgan’s been getting a cold and she is not happy about it.”

Rhodey put his hands up, acquiescing. “I’m just worried, Tony. Even Steve told me he was—”

“Oh, what did Cap have to say now,” Tony said, rolling his eyes, turning his attention back to whatever the hell he was working on.

“He was _ worried_,” he finished, raising his eyebrows. “Worried about you. You know, I thought you both made up while we were stuck in the stone.”

Being ‘stuck in the soul stone’ sounded way better than plain old dying. And for Rhodey’s sake, he and Steve_ did _ make up, like two PTA moms who had a fight over their kids’ gluten cookies. Apparently, half the universe vanishing was better than couples therapy in his expert opinion. But despite them being friends again, Steve was still a bastard. Now it felt like less of a ‘If you and your friends were drowning on a boat I may or may not help you’ way, but more of a ‘you’re stupid, but I love you’ way. See? Progress. Tony stopped, pushing a breath from his mouth, and turned to Rhodey. “Yeah, well. He’s still the most selfless, selfish, contradictory asshole out there. Fine, all of you are worried. I thought Steve was going to take a trip to the Bahamas after Barnes came back.”

“He’s your friend, you know.” Rhodey sat down on the workbench and crossed his arms over his chest. “And Barnes is being flown over as we speak. But seriously, Tony? The Bahamas? Despite what they both think, they’ll probably go help out some kids on the streets in New York rather than vacation even if they need it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony sighed, hands uselessly holding a piece of equipment in his hands. He was silent for a few moments before he said, “Rhodes… I just can’t go to sleep. It’s not even for the nightmares. I just can’t knowing that Peter’s still out there in space with no way of getting home.”

“Staying up for him isn’t gonna help him either, man,” he said. “And he’s got the other Peter right? Quill? It’s not like he’s stuck there permanently. We could always ask Thor for a favor if we need to.”

Yes, Tony had pondered over the possibility of letting Thor just beam him home or whatever demigod, space power he had, but the poor guy had just been reinstated as king of Asgard in _ Norway _ of all places, so his plate was a bit full. And Tony may or may not have already asked Rocket and Groot and they were both certain they’d come back. 

_ (“Peter’s pretty handy,” Rocket said, watching over Groot with a cautious eye, like he might disappear again if he didn’t watch over him. The tree guy wasn’t doing much; he’d snagged one of his Peter’s gaming consoles and proceeded to ignore the rest of them for Mario. Now Tony wasn’t an expert on teenagers or talking tree species, but he was pretty sure Rocket didn’t have to worry about the guy for at least a few more hours. He continued, “I mean, he’s not as good as me, but he could worm his way into getting another ship. Might take a few weeks, but your kid’s gonna be fine.”) _

“Yeah, Rhodey, he’s fine,” Tony said, more for his sake than anything. “We’re just playing the waiting game now.”

* * *

A few weeks passed and just as Rocket said, they got an incoming message that Quill and his crew were on his away, little Peter included, they said, reassuring him. It was more of a blessing to hear the news instead of mindlessly wondering when he’d come back, especially since his patience, or whatever was left of it anyway, was rapidly dwindling. Steve had left for God knows where with Bucky awhile back (_two weeks_, his mind supplied, _ on a roadtrip across America_). He had offered one of his houses in California, but Steve just clasped a hand on his shoulder and declined like the 100+ year old man he was. 

“Thanks, Tony, but I think I can handle being on the road again,” Steve said, looking at Bucky with literal hearts in his eyes. God, how disgustingly cute. He and Pepper were probably cuter, but that was just his opinion. 

Tony nodded, placing his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Of course. Offer’s always there, you know, if you and Barnes ever get tired of saving the children of America or something.”

Steve laughed and Tony was only half-kidding when he said it, but he let out a small smile. “I’ll see you whenever, Steve.”

“Bye, Tony.”

And that was that. It was pretty painless and didn’t involve and blood, yelling, or twenty million dollars so that was a plus in his eyes. Probably one of his better talks if he didn’t want to lie. But now with the dynamic duo gone, Thor almost exclusively stuck with kingly duties (as with T’Challa— being a newly undead king in Wakanda was not something taken as lightly as they had hoped), and everyone else in some type of post-undead societal related disaster, Tony was pretty much either alone or too busy to think. 

It wasn’t a bad thing, initially, seeing as thousands of people on Earth alone were in a state of limbo, vague memories of their time stuck in the soul stone and no idea that four years had passed and time moved on without them there. He had helped in whatever war to rebuild the fucked up mess Thanos created, but even for him it was a stretch of his abilities. It was good though to keep his mind off of Peter’s arrival, so when Quill messaged Rocket (however the hell that happened, he couldn’t tell) it was like someone doused him in cold water. 

The kid was finally coming home. 

“ETA five minutes, Stark,” Rocket told him, leaning against the doorway while Groot stood behind him, an old Nintendo Switch in his hands. 

“I am Groot,” he said, distracted.

“What do you mean now, I said five minutes, you—” Rocket turned around, crossing his arms over his chest then he let out a chuckle as he watched a large dilapidated ship come into view. “Oh, Peter. Not bad, not bad at all.”

That thing was huge, but it still managed to fit comfortably in his lawn. Well, his lawn was probably the size of large park but that was neither here nor there. Not so long after, a gaggle of people jumped out, only one face unfamiliar to his eyes. That was probably Quill’s girlfriend, if the starstruck gaze expression on Quill’s face was any indication. They weren’t wearing the clothes he saw them in last which was probably a good thing, but it was jarring to see a shorter head peak out through the group dressed in weird alien space gear. 

Peter, _ his _ Peter, waved and grinned at him. “Hey, Mr. Stark!”

Tony croaked out, smiling as the kid jogged over to him, unharmed and just the slightest bit mussed up, “Hey, kid. You gave me quite a scare.”

Peter was about to say something, but Tony pulled him into an uncharacteristic hug. Peter let out a surprised breath, but he quickly recovered and squeezed him back just as tightly. “Sorry, Mr. Stark. You fixed it though. We’re all out of the soul stone.” He let go, then scruffed his weirdly glittering shoes on the grass. “Like time never passed.”

“I didn’t do it by myself. The Avengers helped too,” Tony added. Four years of painstaking dead ends, patience, tantrums, little victories and then one big victory was too much to unpack in a reunion, so he just stuck to the basics. He looked at Peter’s surprised look and he remembered that not everyone was there for the (original) Avengers’ happy reunion. “Yeah, Cap helped too. We all kissed and made up like good adults, Pete.”

“I knew you guys would work it out,” he said, smiling. “You’re the Avengers.”

And it had probably been more than half a decade since they last time Tony was actually proud of the title. He forgot, amongst the bloodshed and violence, that being an Avenger meant something important, that it meant he was doing _ good_. 

“C’mon, kid. Your hot aunt’s in the kitchen. She misses you,” Tony said, slapping a hand at Peter’s back and directing him towards May. 

“Stop calling her hot that’s so weird, Mr. Stark,” Peter started, feet already walking alongside his. 

“Sure, kid,” he said with a grin.

They walked into the compound—they walked home. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed !!!! send me prompts on my [tumblr](http://bipetermj.tumblr.com/) if you want !!


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